Random television bits on a cold rainy Wed

[shadowkat]

1. While listening to my ipod at work today, the song "I've Got a Theory" from BTVS OMWF popped up, and when Buffy sang the bit "hey I died twice" - suddenly I thought, out of the blue, while doing a cost variance analysis no less, wait - she was brought back to life first by Xander and then by Willow. Interesting.

Xander is more or less representative of the nerdy boy archetype, while Willow is representative of the geeky girl archetype, while Buffy represents the popular cheerleader that both hero worship on some level. Buffy dies. Xander breaths life back into her, so she can fight another day. Buffy dies. Willow pulls her back from the grave, so she can save the world - but loses herself in the process. So Xander saves the world from Willow by forgiving Willow...

Hmm. Maybe I should stop analyzing this?

No wait.

All they've done is flipped the gender roles a bit. Willow aggressively brings Buffy back. Xander gently does it. Willow gives into the desire for power, Xander forgives her and nurtures. Willow in some respects represents the trope of envy - the geeky girl who envies the popular cheerleader and wants to be her, while Xander represents the nerdy guy who basically lusts after her and dreams of boinking her. What is interesting is neither achieves this aim, but they do in some respects reach beyond Buffy and become something more in their own rights, so that they can love and support Buffy - but the negative emotions are gone: the envy and the lust. Washed away.


2. Co-worker and I engaged in geeky discussion on Doctor Who. He'd asked me if I'd seen Day of the Doctor, Adventure in Space and Time and the Fifth Doctor Reboot (yes on the first two, no on the last - which he told me I should make a point of rectifying.)

Coworker had seen the entire series from the beginning and is a huge fan of Tom Baker.
He also was not overly fond of RT Davies run of the series - found it to be too dark and angsty, lacking the humor and hope that he loved. Which I have discovered seems to be a common theme in the Doctor Who fandom. People who are fans of the series - who have seen all the episodes, tend to be more ambivalent towards Davies version. Although, Co-Worker admitted that David Tennant was his second favorite Doctor, next to Tom Baker - with Matt Smith coming in third.

I'm rather looking forward to Peter Capadli's take on the Doctor. Although I miss River Song. Didn't really like how her story ended, but I admittedly didn't like how Rose's or Donna's arcs ended either. Actually I think Martha Jones got the best ending in the reboot.

3. Marvel Agents of Shield according to Screen Rant continues to be losing viewers - it now has less than No Ordinary Family, the previous superhero series had in it's first and only season. (Actually No Ordinary Family was more compelling.)

Most telling is television critic Maureen Ryan's Huffinton Post Column on Marvel Agents of Shield - The Falls' Biggest Disappointment. In which she states the following:

Seven episodes in, I care not a whit for any of the characters.[I admittedly gave up after 6 for somewhat the same reason, but I'm not a tv critic] Shockingly for a drama with which Joss Whedon is involved (he's one of several executive producers), I don't care at all about the relationships between the characters. The stakes for the individuals, for various character pairings and for the team as a whole, don't add up to much. And thus I must conclude that, as is so often the case with J.J. Abrams dramas, Joss Whedon has only passing familiarity with what is transpiring on this show because he is off making movies.

I know that's how the industry works, I really do, but when something as lifeless as Fox's "Almost Human" (which comes from Abrams' TV factory)[Hmmm...only seen the pilot and it does have some interesting bits of dialogue and some interesting characters..so not sure I agree yet.] or "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." comes off the assembly lines of these guys, it's particularly disappointing. Their early TV work served as subversive rebukes to inoffensive corporate blandness, but these shows are prime exemplars of it.[Okay, agree with this. It's frustrating when we get well-written albeit not necessarily subversive dramas such as Breaking Bad, or subversive ones like American Horror Story...but can't get the same in fun genre shows from people who used to be able to supply them and now, what, can't be bothered?]

As is the case with Agent Coulson, whose post-"Avengers" revival seems off -- even to him -- "S.H.I.E.L.D." just doesn't feel quite human. (Whedon and Abrams, both of whom are now highly paid cogs in very large entertainment industry machines, both debuted shows this fall that hinge on whether key characters are real and have souls. Make of that what you will.)

I can see the strained, obvious ways in which "S.H.I.E.L.D." tries to amp up the stakes within each story, but every character is too narrow and limited to animate the proceedings, and the stories themselves are constricted, unimaginative and predictable. "S.H.I.E.L.D." is a life model decoy of a show: It has all the parts and it moves them in the right ways, sort of. It presents a simulacrum of life, but is inorganic and mechanical. It has no blood pumping in its veins. It lacks fire, it lacks heat and that black plane rarely even makes an approach at emotional complexity.[Ah, my thoughts exactly. Although I've been told that the last two episodes were slightly better?]

I don't want to hear that the show doesn't have the money to do things that the movies did. Who expected a TV show, in this dollar-conscious day and age, to have those kinds of bucks? I didn't, and I actually relished the idea of a scrappy, hungry entry in the Marvel universe having to use its wits and ingenuity to come up with weekly adventures on a budget (what is any superhero tale but a story about beating the odds, after all?).[Actually, my problem is that too much emphasis is put on special effects and big budget. Buffy which had maybe an 8th of Shield's budget - had characters you loved, great dialogue, humor, and interesting stories. So too did Firefly, and Angel. None of these had a big budget.] And ultimately, the explosions and car chases don't matter if we're not particularly concerned about whether characters die. When it comes to "S.H.I.E.L.D.," I have more than once hoped that they would. Not just because I find several characters annoying or extraneous, but because a death might force the show to deal with the kind of challenging consequences it has gone out of its way to avoid. [Amen]

I've watched dozens of adventure shows made for much, much less money because I was invested in the worlds, characters, themes and relationships on display. Spy shows, hero-driven dramas and sci-fi chronicles like "Stargate SG-1," "Strike Back," "Spartacus," "Chuck," "Burn Notice," "Covert Affairs," "The Americans," "Banshee," "Continuum," "Arrow" and heck, even "Lost Girl," have played in sandboxes that adjoin "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s" with much more success because they know what they're about. [I'd add Farscape, which also had less money, as did Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. And I probably should try Continuum and Lost girl again. Did try The Americans, but it was too dark for my state of mind. Can't say I like Stargate SG-1, but even it was more compelling than SHIELD.]They've got a firm idea of the territories they want to explore and how their casts function best, and few things are more satisfying than watching a show play around with the ideas and dynamics to which it has laid claim.

I can't figure out what fascinates or animates "S.H.I.E.L.D.," aside from a desire not to draw the wrath of its corporate overlords. Is its prime directive to not confuse viewers who may be in comas?[There appears to be a blandness to it and various other cultural items, some on best-seller lists, that make me wonder...]

Sadly, "S.H.I.E.L.D." isn't the only drama infected by the no-fun virus that's going around. "Hostages," "Almost Human," the upcoming "Intelligence" and "The Blacklist" are so glumly competent and unrelentingly serious that I half expect James Spader to sputter "This town needs an enema!" before the year is out. At least "The Blacklist" serves up some prime ham and cheese between its bland slices of competence, but so few other new shows have the loopy spark of a "Scandal" or "Sleepy Hollow." What sets those two shows apart, aside from charismatic characters and an energetic desire to stuff a whole lot of story into every episode, is the simple fact that they appear to be having fun. [ Sleepy Hollow and Scandal have another thing in common - they both have leads who are women and POC/Minority, and are tough, without being superheroes or ninjas. In short they have diverse casting, which make them stand out from the above list. Also they have characters who are relatable and emotionally charged. The audience cares what happens to them. They don't look the same. And the stories feel different. It's really not that hard to figure out why Scandal and Sleepy Hollow are doing so well and have big fan bases. While SHIELD and the others not so much. ]

I don't know. I admittedly stopped somewhere in the midst of episode 6. Mainly because the show was either putting me to sleep and my attention kept wandering during it. Which is telling, considering it was during a sequence where Agent Coulson was being tortured. I had no idea why, didn't care, and thought...oh, another torture scene, this is so 24. Bored now.
(As an aside, is anyone else sick of torture sequences in action/adventure tv shows and movies? I get that they are a fact of life. But I find torture hard to watch.)

Did it get better after episode 6? Do you agree with her insights? Eh...is anyone still watching? Does anyone care?

4. Vampire Diaries - is making me miss Buffy again. They appear to be doing some similar things. Although, I am enjoying Katherine quite a bit. That character just keeps getting more interesting and more developed. And Dobrev appears to enjoy playing her - more I suspect than Elena. Can't say I blame her.



* Apparently Damon was experimented on years ago by a covert science project? They were attempting to create vampires that feed off of vampire blood, not human blood. (Sort of similar in concept to Michael and Alaric - ie. vampires who hunt vampires.) So what is Damon now going to become another Michael? After Elena took out Jesse for doing more or less the same thing - how is she going to deal with Damon? Particularly with Caroline looking on?

I personally think Buffy did it better with Spike and the chip in S4 - referencing both Clockwork Orange and the Prisoner. Vamp Diaries ...I'm not sure what they are referencing.

* Can't say I blame Caroline for dissing on Damon. After all Damon is responsible for Caroline dying. He also used her as a suck toy for half a season. That's not something you easily forgive. Caroline has more reason to hate Damon than the Scoobies had to hate Spike, and that's saying something. Although...he did save Tyler at risk to his own life and Caroline for that matter - getting infected by a werewolf bite in the process.

I'm not sure Damon care one way or the other.

* Stefan and Katherine's relationship is by far the most interesting of the episode and show at the moment. It's sort of love/hate. And has mileage. Lots of history there. Plus, now Katherine is human, not only human, dying rapidly of old age...and feeling a wee bit suicidal about it.

* The fear of death theme is heavy in this season. While some characters, such as Silas and Amora, welcomed it, others avoid. Bonnie continues to avoid death and at great cost to herself and her friends spiritual well-being. In this episode, the old woman tells her that death brings an end to the pain...and a sense of peace, peace Bonnie did not find - so she's welcoming the pain.



4. Been playing Real Racing video game on my IPAD - in order to decrease my anxiety over driving. OR find a way of dealing with it. It does simulate the driving experience rather well and my anxiety regarding it. So there is that. Also wildly addictive. I lose hours playing that game.
Even if it raises my blood-pressure.

Flutter - the butterfly sanctuary game died on me. They updated the game, which resulted in me losing everything I'd done, all the levels I'd advanced to, and all the butterflies I'd collected.

This is my problem with video games - the silly creators ruin the game - either in an attempt to make money off of it. (I never spent any on the game, I don't as a rule.) Or
to make it cooler - they update the dang thing and it doesn't work, locking you out or destroying the program.

Comments

Marvel AoS

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I gave up on Agents of Shield several episodes ago. I just found it fundamentally uninteresting...

The Onion AV Club has been giving the show steadily declining grades. The reviewer held the assumption that new shows should get better as their first seasons go on - as writers figure out what their cast can do, what their show is about, and where there stories are taking them. Agents of Shield basically hasn't done any of that -- and reviewers who wanted to like it and wanted to keep giving chances are starting to give up.

What could presumably be a tentpole for a bunch of expanded programming seems very much like a wasted opportunity right now.